Issue 17, 2023

Energy crisis in Europe enhances the sustainability of green chemicals

Abstract

Ammonia and methanol are essential to modern societies, but their production has been heavily reliant on natural gas, which contributes to supply disruptions and significant CO2 emissions. While low-carbon or green production routes have been extensively researched, their adoption has been hindered by higher costs, making them unsustainable. However, a recent energy crisis in Europe has created a unique opportunity to shift towards greener production technologies. Here we show that, green ammonia, produced through wind-powered water electrolysis, had the potential to outperform its fossil counterpart for six months as of December 2021, while methanol produced through CO2 capture and wind-based water electrolysis became an economically appealing alternative. With a coordinated effort from academia, industry, and policymakers, Europe can lead the grand transition towards more sustainable practices in the chemical industry.

Graphical abstract: Energy crisis in Europe enhances the sustainability of green chemicals

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Perspective
Submitted
31 Mar 2023
Accepted
23 Jun 2023
First published
23 Jun 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Green Chem., 2023,25, 6603-6611

Energy crisis in Europe enhances the sustainability of green chemicals

A. Nabera, I. Istrate, A. J. Martín, J. Pérez-Ramírez and G. Guillén-Gosálbez, Green Chem., 2023, 25, 6603 DOI: 10.1039/D3GC01053H

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